In 1967, a pioneering African-American drag racer named Nira Johnson set a land-speed record on his Triumph Bonneville. Without realizing it, Nira inspired a life-long love of American hot rod culture in two French guys: Denis Sire, an artist who used Nira as the basis for a comic book hero; and Laurent Romuald, the top motorcycle restorer in Paris, who built a replica of the comic book hero’s motorcycle.

Now, motorcycle journalist Mark Gardiner has teamed up with Airspeed Productions and director Kevin Ward to turn this heartwarming pro-American and pro-motorcycle story into a feature length documentary film, titled Monsters of the Salt. “I’ve been writing about motorcycles for over 20 years,” says Gardiner. “In that time, I’ve told a few stories that made people say, ‘That should be a movie’. This is the first time I’ve done anything about it.”

Gardiner is working with a veteran producer, Tom Guttry, and his company Airspeed Productions. They’ve also recruited renowned commercial director Kevin Ward (he was the director of photography on Dust to Glory.)

The hero of this heartwarming pro-American and pro-motorcycle story is over 80. You can help bringing his story to a wider audience, while he’s still around to enjoy it. Make a contribution — even if it’s just a dollar — to their crowd funding campaign here by going to Donate Monsters.